Paradise Restored

[At the end of the millennium] The rebellion is ended. The Anointed, Yahushua, is gloriously vic­torious. The fires of hell have done their purifying work Satan, sin, and sinners are gone; they have utterly per­ished from the face of the earth. Gone also are all the works of man. Every defiling and hurtful thing has been destroyed in the flames, The results of sin are past.

The destruction of Satan and all his followers will finally open the way for the complete establishment of Yahushua's king­dom upon earth and the restoration of man to his Paradise home.

It was Yahuwah's original purpose that righteous men should dwell on the earth, and this purpose, though temporarily halted by the intrusion of sin, finally will be carried out.

Those whose lives have been hidden with Yahushua, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith and will have reigned with Him for 1000 years, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of Yahuwah.

Paradise Lost

1. When Yahuwah created the earth, to whom did He give it and with how many treasures?

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Sovereign's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." Psalm 115:16.

Answer: To Adam with four treasures.

A. Life

"Yahuwah Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7. In the beginning man was given life. He was created from the dust of the ground. Elohim breathed into his nostril the breath of life. He became "a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). Man had not existed before. He did not create himself. For his very existence, he was indebted to Yahuwah -only to Yahuwah.

B. A pure image and righteousness

"Elohim said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." Genesis 1:26. "Elohim hath made man upright." Ecclesiastes 7:29. Surely a good, wise, and all-powerful Eloah would do no less than that. A good Eloah would desire to make a good man. And this is exactly what He did. Adam and Eve, our first ancestors (Luke 3:38), were innocent and pure when they came forth from the hand of their Creator.

C. A home in a beautiful world

"Yahuwah Elohim planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made Yahuwah Elohim to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food." Genesis 2:8-9. "Elohim saw every thing He had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31.

Yes, Yahuwah gave man a home, in a garden, in a lovely primeval world. This is no more and no less than we would expect Yahuwah to do. He is the author of the home and marriage, of beauty and happiness. Security was to be bound up with the home and family life.

D. Dominion of the earth.

"Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:28. Yahuwah gave man dominion. Although man was made "a little lower than the angels," yet he was equipped with intelligence and management, that he might be in charge of Yahuwah's creation here. "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet." Psalm 8:6.

What an outlook! Life with abundant health: a righteous character: a home in a beautiful, sinless world; and dominion over the created works of Yahuwah! What more could man desire? Just one thing - that this happy state might last forever! And that depended upon man. For Yahuwah placed him under obedience to law as an indispensable condition to his very existence.

Furthermore, Yahuwah gave to man the power and freedom of choice. Only in this way could man be a morally responsible being. Only thus could he develop character. "Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness." In Yahuwah's order, obedience springs from love and is rendered by choice. But it is, nevertheless, imperative.

A special test was arranged. A certain tree was to be left strictly alone (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17). What an easy test! No great deed, work, or sacrifice was required. There could be no possible reason for transgression. The very lightness of the prohibition would make the sin great. If man sinned, it would be deliberate. Yahuwah could not be blamed, for He had told them to leave the tree alone. They must have understood this to be a simple test of their faith - nothing more. But we all know what happened (Genesis 3).

2. How did man lose these four treasures and to whom?

"For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." 2 Peter 2:19.

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." Luke 4: 5, 6.

Answer: By sin and lost it to the devil. And what reason can be given for man's sin? None. To give a reason would be to justify the deed. Only excuses and explanations can be offered.

Yes, that is the way it is. Adam blamed Yahuwah for giving him Eve. Eve blamed the serpent for everything, She had listened to his story about getting on a higher plane, about being like elohim. Many today are being lured by the ancient sophistries of the devil, streamlined for moderns.

There was no need for Eve to be deceived. She had to reject Yahuwah's truth first, before she could accept the devil's deception. Had Yahuwah not given her truth, the situation would have been different, Adam was not deceived. He walked into sin with his eyes open, taking the risk and hoping Yahuwah would be merciful. He made an excuse for Eve. He loved her more than he did Yahuwah. And what tragedy resulted! It is always disastrous to disobey Yahuwah. Adam gambled and lost, And what did he lose? All that Yahuwah gave him.

"Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:14.

A. Man lost life.

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" Genesis 3:19 (Romans 6:23).

As the result of his sin he was removed from access to the tree of life, lest he should "eat, and live for ever" (Genesis 3:22), Man was not immortal by nature or creation. Sin, Yahuwah warned, would bring death, not life. "All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died" (Genesis 5:5). Sin is real: and death is real. Yahuwah says so. The devil disputed Yahuwah's Word. Man found Yahuwah's Word is right.

B. Man lost his righteousness by choosing to disobey Yahuwah.  .

"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5:12. "All unrighteousness is sin," 1 John 5:17. The unnumbered volumes of history record the deeds of man's sinful career for long millenniums. No words need be added here. Adam lost his righteousness.

C. Man lost his Eden home.

"Therefore Yahuwah Elohim sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Genesis 3:23-24.

D. Man lost his dominion.

"Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage," 2 Peter 2:19

"The elohim of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of the Anointed, who is the image of Yahuwah, should shine unto them." 2 Corinthians 4:4.

Having cast off the dominion Yahuwah had over him, man lost the dominion Yahuwah had placed under him. He was now in a world fallen to the dominion of Satan.

A curse was also pronounced upon the earth for man's sake. "Cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life" (Genesis 3:17). Sinful man in a sinful world needed the discipline of toil and care. No civilization has yet been able to endure ease and luxury. Our civilization today is no exception. And yet the tired and weary heart of man longs for the time of restoration to come when the dominion lost through sin will be his once more.

A New Earth

3. How will Yahushua restore the four treasures?

Answer: The Saviour came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10), He purchased our salvation by shedding His "precious blood" (1 Peter 1:19). Then He ascended to heaven, "having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12).

Though every man is born in sin, no man has a right to place a low estimate upon himself, Yahuwah so valued man that He gave heaven's greatest gift for his redemption. He could not have given more. Think now of the treasures that will be restored to us through the gospel.

A. Life restored.

No matter how a man dies, Yahuwah can raise him up. His ashes may be strewn on the moving bosom of a river and carried to the bounds of seven seas, but Yahuwah can raise him up to everlasting life. Here are the promises of life restored by the Life giver, Yahushua, the Anointed: "Yahuwah so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John 3:16. "The gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushua, the Anointed, our Master." Romans 6:23.

B. Righteousness restored.

A sinner comes to Yahuwah. His sins are confessed, forsaken, and forgiven. Love is awakened in his soul, and the process of restoration begins. Sanctification is another name for it. The work is done by the Spirit of Yahuwah, and the Word of Yahuwah has a part. "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Cooperation with Yahuwah is paramount in this process. Here are the promises:

"Therefore if any man be in the Anointed, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold. all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

"We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of Yahuwah, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as the Spirit of Yahuwah." 2 Corinthians 3:18.

C. Man’s beautiful home restored.

Many an infidel, millions of skeptics, and some Christians have asked, "Why doesn't a good and mighty Creator put an end to this cruel, suffering world?" The answer is, "He is planning to do that very soon." The first step will be Yahushua's return to set up His kingdom on earth and reign with the redeemed for 1000 years. The next and the last step will be taken at the end of the 1,000 years, and Yahuwah will dwell here in the new Jerusalem with His people forever. Here are the promises:

"He shall send Yahushua, the Anointed, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which Yahuwah hath spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:20-21. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:10. “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. ... And never shall thou be any more.” Ezekiel 28:18, 19.  “He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.” Nahum 1:9. "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isaiah 65:17.

D. Dominion restored.

We do not propose to speculate on the details of the future life. Its loveliness will surpass our fondest dreams, its beauty will exceed the greatest flight of our imagination, and its joys soar beyond our highest hopes. There, man's lost mastery of himself and his dominion of the earth shall be restored as Yahuwah has promised. The glories of it all cannot be described.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne," Revelation 3:21. "I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Master." Matthew 25:21.

Paradise Restored

4. When will this restoration occur?

"Wait on Yahuwah, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." Psalm 37:34.

5. What will the earth look like when re-created?

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, ... they shall see the glory of Yahuwah, and the excellency of our Eloah. : .. " Isaiah 35:1, 2.

And there shall be no more curse: Revelation 22:3

• Flowers and trees will not wilt or fade.
• Tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods will not be known.
• Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
• There will be not a single homeless or sick person.
• Every single corner of the earth will be beautiful to behold.

6. In what activities will the righteous participate in this new earth?

"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them .... And mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21, 22.

---and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne. Revelation 14:1-3
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of Yahuwah. Revelation 2:7

The New Jerusalem

7. What has Yahuwah prepared for the righteous in this new earth?

"Yahuwah is not ashamed to be called their Eloah: for he hath prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:16.

8. What does John tell us of the magnificence of this city?

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from Yahuwah out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her hus­band .... " Revelation 21:2-27; 22.

9. What will be the privilege of those who enter the city?

"The throne of Yahuwah and of the Lamb shall be in it; . . . and they shall see his face." Revelation 22:3, 4.

10. What seasons of worship will be observed in the new earth?

“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahuwah." Isaiah 66:23.

11. How will the ransomed of Yahuwah return to their home?

"The ransomed of Yahuwah shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isaiah 35:10.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Yahuwah hath prepared for them that love him. --- for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of Yahuwah." 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 [We will continue to learn more and more in eternity.]

Consider also the meeting and fellowship with loved ones, friends and other saved righteous from all ages:

"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of Yahuwah and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." Revelation 7:14-15

12. How long will this kingdom in the new earth last?

"The saints of the most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." Daniel 7:18.

13. How shall we make sure of a place in the coming kingdom in the new earth??

Answer: There are three important guideposts to help direct your feet as you journey toward New Jerusalem. Here they are:

A. Confess Yahushua before men and angels by baptism in  the name of Yahushua into Yahuwah's true ekklesia.

"Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven" Matthew 10:32 (Luke 9:26). Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38

Accept Yahushua to come and live in your heart that his will may become your will.

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of Yahuwah dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Yahushua, he is none of his." Romans 8:9

Resist the temptations of the devil through the grace of Yahushua.

"Submit yourselves therefore to Yahuwah. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Love Yahuwah and your neighbor as yourself.

Thou shalt love Yahuwah with all thy heart.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  Matthew 22:37, 39 [abbrev]

How is this done?

"Whosoever believeth that Yahushua is the Christ is born of Yahuwah: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of Yahuwah [our neighbor], when we love Yahuwah, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of  Yahuwah, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:1-3

B. Obey Yahuwah's commands and instructions.

"If ye love Me, keep My commandments," John 14:15. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Revelation 22:14.

C. Keep an eye of faith on the better world.

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." Hebrews 11:13-14.

Have you decided to accept Yahushua's glorious offer to live with Him forever in His kingdom which He will establish on eartth when He returns soon?